Staff report

Published on Sep. 14, 2012

Sep. 14, 2012

In this week's edition of Sporting News' Huddle Up! Podcast, co-hosts Vinnie Iyer and Bill Bender break down all the Week 2 games, picking the winners and dishing fantasy football advice along the way.

Vinnie and Bill also welcome SN Broncos correspondent Andrew Mason of MaxDenver.com to break down what to expect from Peyton Manning through a tough 2012 schedule, including Monday night’s battle at Atlanta. Here’s Mason's take on …

Watch This

… whether Peyton Manning met the great expectations in his Broncos debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1: "He lived up to them right away. There was a little bit of a concern back in the preseason when he came out in the first couple of games and threw three picks with no touchdowns. After a bit of a slow start against the Steelers, they went into the no-huddle, and as wide receiver Brandon Stokley told me, it looked like it was 2005, 2006 all over again. The timing was as good as it was back in those days in Indianapolis. I think we'll see more of the same."

… how Broncos coach John Fox has adjusted his offensive mind-set with Manning: "Fox likes to run. It's sort of his default setting, but it's more accurate to say he likes to go with the least risky option. More often than not in Carolina, it was handing off to the running back of the moment. With this offense, the least risky choice is have Manning drop back, take a few steps, find a receiver underneath and make the play."

… how Manning has been able to get into a rhythm with receivers so early: "It seems that way. It wasn't a surprise he found a rhythm with Eric Decker—the two of them starting working together six days after Manning signing his contract in March. It's a bit of pleasant surprise for the Broncos that the timing is there with Demaryius Thomas. Thomas didn't get to run routes with Manning until late April, but he was going to make a leap forward anyway if he could stay healthy. Going forward, I think Decker will still be the primary option, but Thomas will continue to make big plays."

Salisbury examines former and current USC QBs

NFL and college football analyst Sean Salisbury also joined Vinnie and Bill's "run to the end zone" to talk about the current status of former USC quarterbacks Mark Sanchez and Carson Palmer and the future of current USC quarterback Matt Barkley. Salisbury played at USC in the 1980s. Here's his take on …

… Sanchez's play with the Jets: "It's not the question of his talent; it's how well he can handle adversity. How will he handle having a bad game with Tim Tebow on the sideline? How will he deal with the Jets' fans? He's playing the toughest position in all of sports, in the toughest city to play it in. You have to have thick skin—I don't know any thin-skinned quarterback who's ever been any good. He's physically talented; now we have to see again how it will work out when he's going through bad times. He needs to take his leadership and emotional/mental side of his game to another level.”

… Palmer's play with the Raiders: “He's still trying to get into a rhythm with the Raiders. Just when he started to get into a rhythm last year, bam, the season's over and a new head coach comes in. The biggest thing for Carson is getting his confidence back—a similar thing happened at USC early in his career. It's not anything to do (with him) physically. He knows football. He's not of those guys who's overly outgoing with his leadership, but you don't have to be a loudmouth to be a good leader. He just needs to get his swagger back, because he can flat-out throw it.”

… Barkley's prospects for the 2013 NFL draft: "I could make the argument he had a better 2011 season than Andrew Luck. As good as Luck is, you look at the numbers (and) they were number for number. He's another in a line of great college quarterbacks, but he also projects as the first pick of the draft if he quits now. He's smart—has a great football IQ. He's got a great arm. … Watching him in the early part of last year, he wasn't making the quick decisions. Hesitant quarterbacks aren't good quarterbacks. After game 3, a light switch clicked on for him, and he went crazy. Now I see it all the time—the ball comes out on time, there's no hesitation. He's unique and special, and there are going to be a handful of teams in that sweepstakes that will try to play the old RGIII card—give up half the farm—to go get him. He's that good.”